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Part of the same Highlander universe? Something else?

05-16-2017, 10:50 AM

To you, does "The Search for Vengeance" exist within the expanded universe that includes the TV series and most of the other films? Was Duncan and/or Methos somewhere out there during the events of the movie? Was it just its own thing to you?

I've always thought it strange that if Highlander were to venture into the realm of animation they wouldn't want to involve Christopher Lambert, Adrian Paul, and make it this big thing in animation that they couldn't do in live-action. Barring that, though, I guess in the back of my head I was hoping that The Search for Vengeance would do at least good enough to warrant a sequel... and Colin would encounter/team up with/fight at least some Immortal characters from the other stuff.

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It's amazing How this Animated Movie actually delivered(for me) most of what The Source faild to

I don't know if it's fair to compare Search for Vengeance to The Source. Search for Vengeance is the superior movie, of course. But while the Source was the latest (and apparently last?) chapter of the Duncan MacLeod story and kind of the end of his arc, The Search for Vengeance is a very, very anime-like movie (complete with ghostly sidekicks and other oddities) that's just a random Immortal seeking vengeance against another random Immortal throughout the ages.

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I don't see the point. You COULD fit it by way of "well, nothing REALLY contradicts it too much, really", but apart from the obvious fact that it was made to not really be part of the Series universe (or any other universe but one that consists of its own), it'd be really annoying to have yet another Immortal called MacLeod running around.

Plus, unless we include really incredible circumstances (like an asteroid falling on Earth and creating chaos and such), I just don't like the idea of the Gathering being prolonged that long. I know the show basically abandoned the Gathering as a concept by the fourth season (if not earlier), but I'd have to believe that the end of the Game was closer than it wasn't.

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I don't know if it's fair to compare Search for Vengeance to The Source. Search for Vengeance is the superior movie, of course. But while the Source was the latest (and apparently last?) chapter of the Duncan MacLeod story and kind of the end of his arc, The Search for Vengeance is a very, very anime-like movie (complete with ghostly sidekicks and other oddities) that's just a random Immortal seeking vengeance against another random Immortal throughout the ages.

That's the whole thing, I'm not an Anime person, really had no interest in Search for Vengeance, except for the fact that it was Highlander, These movies being released so closely to eachother actually invites comparison. All those years waiting for The Source, this Anime comes along, I didn't think too highly of the idea, figured it would be a smelly bag of poo, watched it, and was like "Damn, this is actually pretty good". Looked at the Source, and it was like, What in the bloody hell is going on here? tell me it's a Joke, these coffee makers they use for communication! Why's this priest look like he stepped out of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Oh no I's Anna gonna get eaten by all those homeless people? WTF up with this guy Zai running around at the beginning, he keeps saying Yes! every 5 seconds, little kid doing Darth Vader Impression talking about The Sauce, oh hell the Zai guy Bleeds Arby's Sauce, Did Reggie get electrocuted? His Hair! Whats up with the Guardian, Who wrote these lines? Who approved them?, Damn how could they accept that crap? Is the Guardian sexually attracted too Dunky?

Gosh been waiting 7 years for this? the Anime was better! Why is Zeist in these Flashbacks, How could they have Joe die on his wooden Knees? WTF? Why the Guardian singing that crap he's destroying the songs worse than the people doing the cover. Did Joe seriously think that was one fast Bird? Whats up with this 2000 lb Ivan Ooze? Biker Cannibals who string up a body that has plenty of meat left on it? Oh hey the Wicker Man is in there! The Game was Not what we thought? Ok but what? Good Lord whats going on? How Did this thing get greenlit? Whats with this Loony Tunes Tasmanian Devil junk? Whoa Dunky does a Peter Pan into the air! 2001 Space Baby, What? and how did the Russians get this movie first? Damn, how did the Anime have it's crap together and this one not?

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I don't see any reason not to include it in the canon as nothing contradicts it (yep, I'm making that argument that Al mentioned), same as The Source. Like it or hate it, it fits without contradiction, so what's the point in not including it? I don't know.

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At best, its an optional fit. Like, you know, the rest of the franchise is with one another.

Oh, how a Lego: Highlander would've been so much fun...

Oh, and re:TSFV vs. The Source... The only thing the latter has over the former is more likeable characters in Duncan, Joe and Methos. But given that the whole point of Colin is that he's an single-minded asshole throughout all his life, I don't actually mind.

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I don't see any reason not to include it in the canon as nothing contradicts it (yep, I'm making that argument that Al mentioned), same as The Source. Like it or hate it, it fits without contradiction, so what's the point in not including it? I don't know.

Yeah, I don't really see the harm, or any compelling reason not to include it. If I had to try, the only reason I can think of is that it puts the Duncan story arc in a box in that we still see the Game going strong in 2187. i.e., no final Gathering or Prize winning by Duncan, Methos, etc., could happen until that time and if they do, then TSFV would have to go out the window.

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Right, and with The Source in a similar state of canonical existence until something contradicts it, the supposed oddities in Search actually makes a lot of sense, considering the fact that the game is apparently a lie, and the gathering as suggested is essentially a myth, so of course immortals are still around in 2187 as no one can ever win the game they've been taught.

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Right, and with The Source in a similar state of canonical existence until something contradicts it, the supposed oddities in Search actually makes a lot of sense, considering the fact that the game is apparently a lie, and the gathering as suggested is essentially a myth, so of course immortals are still around in 2187 as no one can ever win the game they've been taught.

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Yeah, except what does the story add to the Series-verse? What's the point of it existing? Just a pointless side-story that might occur in a possible future? By that standard, it might as well stand on its own. I could understand the need to be all-inclusive, but since this is a franchise that exemplifies in non-inclusiveness, its bewildering that this would be the case here.

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Yeah, except what does the story add to the Series-verse? What's the point of it existing? Just a pointless side-story that might occur in a possible future? By that standard, it might as well stand on its own. I could understand the need to be all-inclusive, but since this is a franchise that exemplifies in non-inclusiveness, its bewildering that this would be the case here.

If the criteria for it being part of the expanded universe canon, many could ask that of many individual episodes of the TV show, or the audio plays, or otherwise. The general rule of thumb with this sort of thing is "It works unless it conflicts with a project that post-dates it." As is, it seems to... work.

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But what does it add to the story? Or the characters? How is it improved or deepened by its relation to the show and its peripherals? By the same token, it could act as a prequel to TAS, taking place just a little bit before the Great Catastrophe, wherein Colin dies, obviously.

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The only real argument in its favor is Abramowitz's involvement. It doesn't have Duncan, nor does it have anyone introduced in the Series. There's nothing to stop you from watching it alongside the TV show canon, but it's not actually a part of that canon.

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"Really? We are trapped in a room with a machine that can cut off my head. Now that's a longshot."
--Connor MacLeod in Peter Bellwood's original Highlander II script

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1. It's not centered on Duncan MacLeod or any of his close friends. It doesn't even mention Connor, for that matter.
2. It doesn't build off of anything from the TV series (e.g. no Watchers). It resembles the first 3 movies more than it does the show.
3. It has YET ANOTHER MacLeod, and this one has apparently never met any of the other characters we know from other timelines.

At best, it's loosely compatible with the TV show continuity, but it's not actually a part of it.

__________________________________________________

"Really? We are trapped in a room with a machine that can cut off my head. Now that's a longshot."
--Connor MacLeod in Peter Bellwood's original Highlander II script

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Then why are there Quickenings? The show definitely goes with the: we get the power, we get increased skills, etc. etc. Things like dark Quickenings or light Quickenings were written As flukes. In shadow of obsession, the change was because of the sheer power, and the holiness of the man r.e. psychic gifts.

Coltec also had psychic gifts aka magic, and had absorbed Duncan's rage, which he got back when he took Coltec's head. Maybe there doesn't have to be "only one". But it certainly seems like they are meant to pool their power. Of course, I keep saying that the animated series' idea was actually a very good way out of that trap.